SALT LAKE CITY — After a disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday afternoon, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert voiced his displeasure with some unnamed teammates.

In the locker room, Gobert told Tim MacMahon of ESPN, “We’ve got guys that compete, but some of us don’t compete, some of us just think about scoring.”

The team took note and met Monday behind closed doors to discuss why the unit had lost four of five games before Monday night’s contest against New Orleans.

Whether Gobert’s comments spark change on the floor for the Jazz isn’t the important part of the French center’s message, it’s that Gobert has laid claim to the leadership role of this basketball team, and it’s time for management to answer the call.

When Quin Snyder first took over as head coach for the Jazz, during a particularly listless performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Snyder played the role of vocal leader when he lit a fire under his roster with a boisterous wake-up call.

Gobert should remember that moment because he was on the receiving end of the coach’s plea.

Since that moment, Snyder has been noticeably calmer on the sideline, but nobody else has picked up the role as the team’s leadership voice.

Gordon Hayward has been the Jazz's best player since the team moved on from its last vocal critic, Deron Williams, but Hayward has never assumed the outspoken role. He has found himself on the wrong side of a few high-profile NBA confrontations and never quite answered the bell in kind. Hayward was goaded by Patrick Beverley at the free-throw line last season, resulting in a key missed foul shot. Famously, Hayward remained dormant after receiving a finger in the ear courtesy of Delonte West.

Like Hayward, Derrick Favors, the Jazz's second-longest tenured player, has never assumed the role of vocal leader.

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Recently, Gobert has climbed into contention with Hayward as the Jazz's most noteworthy player, and he now appears to be ready to assume a bigger role in the locker room. Gobert has already assumed the role of vocal leader with the referees, having recorded 7 of the Jazz's 11 technical fouls this year. In fact, he’s the only player on the roster with more than one technical foul so far this season.

Team management, and fans alike, should be encouraged by Gobert’s courage as a vocal leader, as he’s a prototype of the player the Jazz will have to build around to take the next step as a franchise. Gobert joined the Jazz after a late first-round draft pick and trade deal with Denver in need of development on the court and in the weight room. Gobert accepted the challenge and was rewarded with a four-year, $100 million contract in October. Gobert made the most of his time on the Jazz's developmental league team and kept working despite a lack of minutes through the first year and a half of his career.

With the young Jazz appearing poised to be a Western Conference playoff mainstay for the next several seasons, more late first-round draft picks will need to emulate Gobert’s growth for the Jazz to become a true championship contender.

Gobert’s work ethic and newfound voice will allow him to be a leader by example and in the huddle.

The question now remaining for the Jazz is whether they support Gobert’s leadership by handing the keys to the franchise over to the 24-year-old center. With a series of free agency questions to answer in the offseason, will the team’s front office make a commitment to building around Gobert, targeting shooters at every position to support the center as a pick-and-roll threat?

While Jazz fans will watch closely over the regular season’s final two weeks to see if the team answers Gobert’s calls for more competitive play, keep an eye on whether the franchise heeds his call this summer and surrounds him with the types of competitors he’s now publicly asking for. And if the team doesn’t take that step, don’t be surprised of Gobert lets you hear about it.

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